Need help? Ask an airport volunteer

THE NEW Larnaca airport is finding its feet as customers and staff alike get used to the new facilities. On a recent flight from Paris, a child buggy took 40 minutes to be unloaded by baggage handlers.

“It was an isolated incident,” commented Larnaca airport spokesman Adamos Aspris. “We must be given a little time, these are new systems.”

Since opening for traffic on Tuesday, the new airport has generally operated smoothly with no major complaints being received. The buggy’s delay occurred on a evening flight when the rest of the luggage all arrived within 20 minutes.

Understandably, the family waiting for it thought it may have been lost and sought to inquire from someone where it may have ended up. Not finding anyone, he began to shout and was approached by a policeman who asked him to calm down.

“What may have occurred is that he did not recognise the Hermes volunteers as people who he could inquire from.” said Adamos, going on the explain that there are two to three volunteers working in each area of the airport to help customers with their enquiries and guide them in using the facilities.

In the end, the buggy came out. International guidelines on the arrival of baggage on the airport carousel is that it should do so with 25 minutes of an plane’s landing.

“Give us a little time to see how everything works and if genuinely problems present themselves we shall see how to deal with them.” said Adamos, also observing that they aimed to have all problems ironed out as soon as possible and that all staff were working enthusiastically and with a smile to help people in these early days while everybody is still getting used to the new facilities.

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